Grayson Invites Top Official Of Al Qaeda-Linked Yemeni Group To Address Democrats

In another shameless attempt to draw attention to himself, Congressman Alan Grayson invited a supposed drone strike in-the-know individual from Yemen to address congressional democrats on U.S. drone strikes in that country, but failed to do his due diligence of properly vetting Mohammad Al Ahmady, who is a Yemeni attorney and director for Geneva-based NGO Al Karama, an Al Qaeda-linked human rights organization based in Yemen.

The State Department has stated that, Mohammad Al Ahmady, was denied a visa, and would not comment further on the matter.

**Update–“Grayson’s spokesperson has stated that Mohammad Al-Ahmady did not attend the event, and that the Department of Treasury’s designation of Abdul Rahman Omeir al-Naimi “was not in place at the time of the briefing, so again, we had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing on the part of Mohammad [Al Ahmady],” who has not been accused of terrorist-linked activities.”

So what excuse did Grayson give for his blunder? Grayson’s spokesperson stated that the Yemeni official in question did not attend the event, and that the “terrorist designation” of Al Ahmady “was not in place at the time of the briefing, so again, we had no reason to suspect any wrongdoing on the part of Mohammad [Al Ahmady].”

The National Review Online reported on the Washington Free Beacon story, and included one of the best political one-liners I have in a very long time.

The quote came from Grayson’s 2014 Republican congressional opponent, Navy Vet Jorge Bonilla, who has proven to be quick to kick Grayson in the head every time he steps out of line.

“In other words, we are now consulting our drone policy with potential targets.”-Jorge Bonilla

Calls for review of our overseas and domestic drone policies are an entirely appropriate part of our national conversation, and oversight of such policy matters is well within the purview of the United States.

However, I am outraged to discover that several progressive Members of Congress (including Alan Grayson) sought to elicit testimony from a representative of a group with deep links to Al Qaeda, headed by an individual who was found to have funneled millions of dollars to Al Qaeda at the height of the Iraqi insurgency.

In other words, we are now consulting our drone policy with potential targets.”

Such an invitation is a slap in the face to the brave men and women who have served in the Global War On Terror, to our returning Wounded Warriors, to our cherished Blue and Gold Star Families, and to the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom.-Jorge Bonilla (website)